Town Hall Meetings: Advocate for the Change You Want

Town Halls are an excellent way to actively engage in the civic process and advocate for the change you want to see. Usually held either in person at local community centers, or over the phone on a conference line, town halls are an opportunity for your lawmaker to listen to you, their constituent, and receive feedback on the policy priorities that matter most to your community. The 2019 Legislative Sessionis just about halfway over, which means that while some bills are moving quickly, others are progressing more slowly as lawmakers decide what bills to prioritize. Town Halls are the time and space to hold your lawmakers accountable to the changes and priorities that matter most to the wellbeing of your community!

Sounds cool, right? We’ve also developed a brief guide of questions, based off our 2019 Policy Priorities, to ask your lawmakers at your district’s Town Hall. You’re free to use these exact questions, or simply use them as a guide when drafting your own.

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State Tax Code/Revenue:

Working families in Washington state are struggling to make ends meet. Our state tax code is upside down, and low- and middle-income families need a tax break. I understand that the Working Families Tax Credit is one way to give families this relief—how will you fund the working families tax credit?

Over the past decade, cuts to the TANF program have made it so that families experiencing homelessness or mental health challenges are most likely to lose access to TANF. How will you enact fixes to strengthen TANF as the critical lifeline it is?

Rigid participation requirements and policies such as time limits disproportionately impact Black and Native American families who seek assistance from our state’s TANF program. What policies do you support that address the racial disparity of who accesses TANF?

HEN provides critical housing, utility, and transportation assistance that keeps people housed and healthy. It’s essential to our state’s fight against homelessness. But right now, the level of funding for HEN is not matching the level of need for housing assistance throughout the state. Do you support a $69 million investment in HEN that will get people off waitlists and into safe housing?